I’ve been mulling over a question that popped up in one of the tech communities I follow recently, and it’s one of those deceptively simple queries that actually opens up a fascinating discussion about security practices. Someone asked why using a reverse proxy is considered safer than directly exposing service ports, and honestly, their follow-up question was spot on: “Doesn’t it just bump the problem up a level?”

The question really resonated with me because it touches on something I see all the time in my DevOps work – people implementing security practices without fully understanding the underlying principles. It’s like following a recipe without knowing why each ingredient matters. Sure, you might end up with something edible, but you won’t know how to adapt when things go sideways.

The tech world often pushes us toward the latest and greatest hardware, but there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing old devices given new purpose. Today, I stumbled upon a fascinating post about a repurposed laptop serving as a home server, and it sparked some thoughts about our relationship with technology and sustainability.

Picture this: a battle-scarred laptop, survivor of a neighbor’s domestic dispute, transformed into a fully functional home server. The specs would make most tech enthusiasts cringe - a humble Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and a mix of storage drives. Yet, this modest setup runs multiple services including Nextcloud and Immich, effectively replacing expensive cloud subscriptions.